Averil Power (Fianna Fail)

The amendments propose to change the size of constituencies. Senator Cullinane spoke in general about proportionality and stated the effort to achieve a greater balance is assisted by having larger constituencies. I want to approach the issue from a different angle, namely, with a view to improving female representation in the Dáil. As Members are aware, Ireland has one of the worst records of female participation in any parliament in the world. Our female representation rate is not only one of the lowest in Europe but also lower than those of countries such as Afghanistan, Cuba and Rwanda. This is a serious issue. At no point did Ireland have a percentage of female Members in the Dáil greater than 15%. The National Women's Council produced reports suggesting that, at the current pace, it will take 300 years before we have a balanced Parliament.

There is often debate on whether it matters whether members are male or female and whether there is a balance. There is no doubt that men's and women's lives are becoming increasingly similar, yet there is a host of areas in respect of which women's lives are fundamentally different from those of men. Women are far more likely to be the primary carer in the home, either looking after a child or an elderly parent or dependant. Women are more likely to be in part-time employment and to be victims of domestic violence. There is a wide range of areas in which women's life experiences are different. Until our Parliament is more representative, certain issues will never be addressed seriously by the political system.

I welcome the Government's initiative to incentivise parties at the next election to ensure at least 30% of candidates will be female. It is the right approach to put the choice in the hands of the voter by having candidate quotas. All we are saying is that each voter, when he or she walks into a polling station, will be offered a balanced ballot paper and will have an opportunity to make a choice thereon.

I always find it incredible that, at every election, many constituencies present no choice whatsoever. Voters in the polling stations are handed a list of 15 men. In Dublin North-East, I was the only woman out of 14 or 15 candidates. This does not represent a fair choice. The legislative proposal being advocated is fair and it is right to ask parties to step up to the plate and find the right candidates. There is no doubt that there are outstanding women in every constituency. Women are heading community groups, residents' associations and chambers of commerce. If they are not involved in politics, it is the fault of the political system and the parties for not finding a way to get those women on the ticket.

The legislation represents a very positive step but, while candidate quotas will help ensure there are more women on the ballot paper, the ultimate objective, as reflected in our amendments, must be to ensure more women are actually elected. There is a wide body of international research on which system is best for women, and various academics have various views. I have read a number of reports on Ireland and elsewhere that suggest women have a better chance of being elected in larger constituencies.

I am in favour of much more significant electoral reform. For the reasons I outlined, there is a need to have a serious debate on national political issues during election campaigns and to move away from the excessive localism to which other Senators referred. We should move towards having a national list, which would be the best way by far to ensure a gender balance. A national list makes it much easier to ensure a more favourable gender balance without having to account for the intricacies of various constituencies and whether a party member can run in one location and not another.

Ultimately, we have the system that we have. It is important to move on this issue now. I propose that we do not postpone addressing it and that we do not get into a big debate on electoral systems. We will have a 30% candidate quota for the next general election. We need to consider the electoral system now and determine whether there are changes we can make to ensure the candidate quota will lead to more female seats. Our amendments propose that three-seat constituencies be abolished in favour of four, five or six-seat constituencies.

One of our amendments concerns the constituency commission. When deciding whether to recommend in favour of a constituency with four, five or six seats, it should have regard to the fact that larger constituencies afford a better opportunity for women to be represented. It would have to have regard to county boundaries and other factors but gender would be one factor in its deliberations.

It is worth noting that the Joint Committee on the Constitution, which examined a wide range of issues, not just gender, recommended that all constituencies have at least four seats. It drew attention to feasibility in urban areas in particular. The committee was a cross-party group that examined the electoral system and recommended against having three-seat constituencies. This is one reason for our amendment.